


On the House

by ilovewrighting



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Adorable Cisco Ramon, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Bisexual Cisco Ramon, Cisco is a barista at Jitters, M/M, Miscommunication, and Ralph is his favorite customer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-24
Updated: 2019-06-24
Packaged: 2020-05-19 04:23:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19349440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ilovewrighting/pseuds/ilovewrighting
Summary: “Hey there! Thanks for getting my name right yesterday, made for a great insta,” the towering giant of a man had said with a brilliant smile.Cisco had blinked, tilting his head, trying to remember and coming up blank. There wasn’t anyone behind him in line so Cisco leaned against the counter. “Let me see if I can guess. What did you have? Caramel macchiato?” Cisco narrowed his eyes, assessing the taller man.“Venti soy latte with toffee nut,” The other man had chimed. “Please!” He added on, remembering his manners.“Ahhh! I remember now.” Cisco’s surprised smile falters. “Wait a second… how do baristas usually spell Ralph for you?”





	On the House

Cisco Ramon was the type of person who loved being good at their job. Even when he was younger, no matter what his bizarre summer job was, he was dedicated to being amazing at it. Retail, lawn mowing, tutoring, whatever the task, Cisco was sure to complete it the best he possibly could.

This meant that as a barista, Cisco’s favorite thing to do was memorize people’s drink orders. On any given day he could guess at least a handful of orders.

"Heyyyyy venti white mocha no whip!!! What is up my dude??"

"Caramel frap, long time no see... The usual today?"

"Morning! Extra shot latte... what's that, two extra shots today?? Girl, isn't this the third time this week, that is bad for your heart."

Even still, apart from remembering their orders, Cisco doesn’t usually chat personally with customers for too long. He'll make pleasant small talk but he doesn’t like to get too familiar. It is always weird and unpredictable working customer service so most people just aren’t worth getting overly friendly with.

Ralph was different though. Cisco could remember Ralph coming up to the counter and thanking him for spelling his name correctly the day before. Cisco didn't really remember their first interaction but he surely remembered their second.

"Hey there! Thanks for getting my name right yesterday, made for a great insta," the towering giant of a man had said with a brilliant smile.

Cisco had blinked, tilting his head, trying to remember and coming up blank. There wasn't anyone behind him in line so Cisco leaned against the counter. "Let me see if I can guess. What did you have? Caramel macchiato?" Cisco narrowed his eyes, assessing the taller man.

"Venti soy latte with toffee nut," The other man had chimed. "Please!" He added on, remembering his manners.

"Ahhh! I remember now.” Cisco’s surprised smile falters. “Wait a second... how do baristas usually spell Ralph for you?"

Ralph just smiles at Cisco and asks if he can have whip cream on top today please. Cisco shakes his head and grins but gives him a chocolate chip cookie on the house.

Ralph waves goodbye to Cisco, calls out “Thank you!” and heads out of Jitters.

Cisco blinks and wonders if he’s woken up in Groundhog Day today when he turns around and Ralph is at the counter again.

“Am I going crazy or did we just do this?” Cisco asked, pointing between Ralph and himself.

Ralph seemed distracted by the gesture for a moment. “I didn’t order a cookie.” The paper bag laid on the counter between them.

Cisco frowns at the bag. “Yeah, I know. I gave it to you. On the house.”

Ralph’s eyebrows jump up. “You did?” he asks, as if it’s the most complex thing to process.

Cisco nods. “I even warmed it up for you, so you better eat it. It’s getting cold.”

Sputtering, his cheeks turning bright pink, Ralph thanked Cisco, scooped up the bag and his coffee, and made a beeline for the door. Cisco shook his head, watching on as Ralph almost knocked into the next unsuspecting Jitters patron.

.

The next time Ralph comes in, he spends the majority of his lunch break.

“I need a pick me up. I’m thinking my usual… extra whip cream.” Ralph said, standing at the counter and tapping his chin.

“And to eat?” Cisco asked, eyebrow raised.

“Nah, I’ll be fine.” Ralph brushes it off, taking out his wallet. “How much for the coffee?”

“Come on, you can’t tell me you’re gonna have all that sugary sweet coffee, extra whip cream, and no food…” Cisco berates, eyeing the display trays of fresh sandwiches.

There's no one behind Ralph in line so he looks at the options. “I don’t know… I don’t care for all these fancy foods. I just want my espresso.”

The bell above the door chimes as another customer comes in. Cisco glances from Ralph, to the new customer, and back again. He shifts his weight from foot to foot, deciding.

“How about I don’t charge you for the coffee yet and when you smell something you like, I’ll ring you up for both?” Cisco offers with a kind smile.

“You don’t mind?” Ralph asks.

So for the next twenty minutes every time Cisco warms up a sandwich he walks it past Ralph’s table so he can get a good whiff.

“That one was the caprese sandwich, mozzarella, basil and fresh tomato.” Cisco said, coming to stand next to Ralph’s table. He leaned on one foot with his arms crossed comfortably over his chest. There was a white rag hanging out of his apron and a sharpie marker poking out of his shirt pocket.

“Mmm I think the other one smelled really good though. What was it again?” Ralph asked, eyeing Cisco’s relaxed body posture. He usually wouldn’t like to hold up waitstaff like this, but Cisco didn’t seem to be rushing the interaction.

“The one with roasted red peppers and hummus?” Cisco asked, with a grin. “That one’s my favorite.”

“Yeah, let me try that one. Listen, thanks so much, Cisco,” Ralph said, handing over a ten.

“Aw, sorry dude, I think the sandwich is like 10 so it’ll probably be more with your coffee.” Cisco explained, trying to hand the bill back to Ralph.

“No, no, I’ll come up and put that on my card. This is for you.”

Cisco beamed, then, and Ralph was happy that he decided to come for lunch today instead of just popping in for coffee on his way into work. There was something so comfortable about the little coffee shop and having a barista like Cisco made him want to keep coming in more and more.

Ralph told himself it had nothing to do with Cisco’s laugh or the way he flips his hair, making those gorgeous curls bounce. No, nothing to do with that. It was just about Cisco giving him extra extra whip cream, and free cookies. Nothing more.

.

So Ralph becomes a regular customer, coming in for lunch at least once a week. Cisco’s almost always at Jitters all day during the week, so it doesn’t matter when he shows up, it’s usually Cisco’s smiling face behind the counter.

He tries all of Cisco’s favorite sandwiches, and always pairs it with a sickly sweet coffee. Cisco tries to send Ralph home with free cookies more often than not and Ralph accuses him of trying to fatten him up.

“Like you keep telling me; the coffee is enough sugar!” Ralph argued with Cisco one morning when the line had dwindled down to nothing, and still Ralph sat at the bar, chatting with Cisco, sipping his usual venti soy latte with toffee nut.

“Yeah, but you never eat breakfast and you always tip too much.” Cisco said, shrugging.

“I always tip extra because you’re always slipping me free cookies,” Ralph whispered dramatically.

Cisco stopped wiping at the counter to grin at him with full focus. “It’s not a crime you know. We throw them out at the end of the night and make fresh every morning. You don’t have to whisper.”

“But that doesn’t matter! You’d do that anyway, you didn’t have to give me a free one.”

Cisco huffed. “I have literally never heard someone whine so much about getting free food before,” His hands came to rest stubbornly on his hips. “A simple thank you would suffice.”

Ralph waved his hand as if he hadn’t heard a word Cisco said. “You’re just saying that so I tip you even more.”

“Rude!” Cisco scoffed and rolled his eyes, faking outrage. “I have nothing but the purest of intentions,”

.

They continue in that manner for many more weeks than either would care to admit they'd been keeping track of.

One day, Ralph's sitting at the counter, eating a caprese sandwich, listening to Cisco chatting away with Barry, a fellow barista.

“He's in here all the time though don't you think it's a little weird?” Ralph could hear Barry whispering to Cisco by the milk steamers.

“I'm telling you he's fine. He's a good tipper. He's one of my regulars. Leave him alone.” Cisco argued and Ralph’s heart soared. He pretended not to hear them when Cisco came over to ask how the sandwich was.

“So? How was it? And don’t lie to me just ‘cause I give you free stuff all the time.” Cisco joked with a wink.

“Great, as usual.” Ralph said with a smile.

“Hey, listen… Don't pay him any mind.” Cisco said, with narrowed eyes, nodding his chin toward Barry.

Across the room, Barry folded his arms over his chest. “I can hear you, you know.” Barry said.

“That means he could hear us before, you dick,” Cisco called back to him, voice at full volume.

Ralph snorted and turned to glance at Barry. “You’re not wrong.”

“Seriously. He's just jealous I have a cool regular,” Cisco suggested, leaning down closer to Ralph. The way he looked at Ralph made him feel like they were sharing a secret, something meant just for the two of them.

“You think I'm cool?” Ralph asked with a sly smile.

Cisco sputtered for a second. Tucking his hair behind his ears, he said. “Yeah. I guess I do.”

“Well, it's nice to have a cool, regular barista.” Ralph complimented back and watched the way Cisco’s cheeks turned pink.

Cisco brought him a warm chocolate chip cookie that was conspicuously missing from his bill and Ralph thought long and hard about leaving his number on the bottom of the receipt.

In the end he chickened out but left too big of a tip. There was always tomorrow.

.

It was a few days before Ralph was back to Jitters after overhearing Barry. Things were getting serious at work, so the long lunches were becoming less and less of an option.

Still, though, Ralph found himself tossing and turning in bed thinking about Barry's comment. It was weird that he was at Jitters chatting with Cisco all the time. Wasn't it?

Indignantly, he told himself he just had a regular coffee shop. A regular barista. He just loved the roasted red pepper sandwich, especially when Cisco added extra cheese for Ralph and toasted it twice as long, just the way Ralph liked it. They had totally normal conversations. About food and coffee and whether or not Ralph was having too much sugar and what time Cisco left work.

“It's like you live here.” Ralph had said, once.

“Nah, I just do super long hours but hey, free espresso right? So what can you do?” Cisco smirked and pretended to wipe a smudge on the table next to Ralph's.

“I don't know how you always have that smile on.” Ralph said, wondering if the admiration was so obvious in his voice.

Cisco blushed rosy. “Maybe it's because of nice customers like you.”

Ralph had smiled and said nothing because what are you supposed to say when a pretty barista like Cisco tells you something so sweet? But later he’d blushed just thinking about Cisco’s shy smile when he’d said the words. It was impossible for Ralph to be imagining the chemistry between himself and Cisco, it was just so palpable.

Ralph's following day at work was miserable. He was grouchy, had lost work on an important project and his boss pulled him into their office to yell at him. All and all Ralph's day was going poorly. He could use a little bit of rejuvenation and he felt like a coffee and Cisco's sunshine grin were just the thing.

When he went into Jitters for lunch, however, it was just Barry behind the counter. He frowned and ordered his usual, sitting down at a table by the windows.

He got his red pepper sandwich half cold with no cheese. He left a good portion of the sandwich in his plate and took his coffee out onto the sidewalk.

It was so stupid to miss a barista right? And it was even more pathetic to ask where your favorite barista is… right?

A chilling thought gripped Ralph. Maybe he was hiding in the back while Ralph was there because they had gotten too friendly? Maybe Barry was right and it really was weird? Maybe Ralph really had imagined the chemistry between them?

Ralph goes for coffee the next morning and it's Barry and some new girl named Iris running the register. Things are running fine but Ralph knows they'd be running way smoother with Cisco there.

All week Ralph went for coffee in the mornings, no Cisco. On Friday, Ralph asks Barry, as if it's meaningless. “Did your friend with the long hair quit?”

“He burned his hand with a bunch of steamed milk. Took the week off, he should be back next week sometime.” Iris answers.

Barry grits his teeth and glares daggers. “We're not supposed to give out other people's schedules.”

“Thanks.” Ralph says, saluting Iris and heading out onto the sidewalk.

.

The next time Ralph saw Cisco, his palms were bandaged. “Heard you lost a fight with some steamed milk.” he said as he approached the counter.

Cisco laughed with little humor and called his usual order out to Barry, at the steamer. “Yep. No foam for me for a few days still.”

“Well, glad to see you back,” Ralph said.

“Also,” Cisco's brow narrowed. “I showed Barry how to make your sandwich so the next time I’m not here you don’t have to stop coming in for lunch.”

That sentence stopped Ralph in his tracks. “You what? You didn’t have to do that.”

“Yeah, with the cheese and the extra time in the toaster, the way I usually make it, right?” Cisco asked, his eyes narrowed. “He told me you left most of it in your plate the day I burned myself.”

“That’s… yeah, the way you always make it… that’s so nice of you. Thank you.” Ralph said, blushing and looking away as Barry came up to hand Ralph the coffee.

When he sets it down, Ralph spies the name on the side. It says _Ralff_ in black marker on the side of the cup and in all honesty, he doesn’t care.

For some reason, some instinct deep down in him flips a switch, and he tries to pick up the cup as quick as possible so Cisco wouldn’t see. Yet, it was to no avail.

“Barry...please tell me you spelled his name wrong on purpose??” Cisco was already shouting the words at Barry, exasperated tone evident in his voice.

Barry turned with a moody roll of his eyes. “There’s plenty of ways people spell Ralph. How was I supposed to know he spells it the boring way?”

“Boring? How are some letters more boring than others? Please enlighten me, Bar.”

Ralph watched on as they fought.

“This is why I could never leave this place. He can’t even spell Ralph right without me.” Cisco said tongue and cheek, winking at Ralph. Behind the counter Barry rolled his eyed and walked off into the kitchen.

“Well good. I don’t think Barry or the rest of this place would be able to take it if you left.” Ralph grinned in reply.

Cisco smiled, a flush lighting up his cheeks.

When Ralph wrote out his receipt that day, he left his number for Cisco. He scrawled it on the back of his receipt and left it phone-number-side up on the table with his tip.

Ralph was disappointed but unsurprised when Cisco didn’t text him. He had probably just been reading too much into things. Okay, he was a little bothered, if he was being honest. It felt like too much, it felt above and beyond that Cisco was so nice to him. But Ralph was infamous for hitting on straight men, so maybe he really had gotten the wrong idea.

He waited a little while before returning to Jitters again, after leaving his number and feeling the sting of rejection, but was sure things would be fine when he did finally go back.

When he did return to Jitters, Cisco acted like nothing had happened. Like Ralph hadn’t left his number on the table for him. He felt as though almost nothing had changed. It was nice actually.

All things considered, Cisco had let him down easy, and Ralph was fine with that. Now he just had to get over this giant crush he had on his favorite barista. And what an ordeal that would turn out to be.

.

Late at night, one Saturday evening, Ralph was wandering around central city.

Work wasn't going well. He was stressed all the time, worrying about his various upcoming meetings and projects that were due Monday.

Not really expecting anything, but craving something familiar he decided to walk to Jitters. He knew they were closed but maybe seeing the place in brick and mortar would somehow make him feel better.

As he turned the corner he collided face first with another warm body. They each tumbled backward.

“Woah watch it!”

“My bad!” Ralph answered breathlessly, feeling the wind knocked out of him from the fall.

“Hey wait a sec… Ralph?”

Ralph's head whipped up as he recognized Cisco's voice. He wondered how he hadn't seen the poofy curls in front of him earlier.

“Cisco,” he breathed. “What are you doing here? Isn't Jitters closed?”

Cisco gave a half hearted chuckle as he jumped back to his feet and brushed himself off. He extended a hand down to help Ralph up. “Could ask you the same thing. Planning on robbing the joint?” His eyebrows bobbed.

Ralph laughed as he took Cisco's hand (trying not to notice how warm and soft it felt entwined with his own shaky fingers) and he got to his feet. “Just wanted to take a familiar walk. It was the only place I could think of that felt… homey.”

Cisco smiled and Ralph felt a little sadness in it. “Why don't we go inside? It looks like the sky's about to open up.”

It wasn't drizzling but it had been overcast all day. Ralph wondered why Cisco was being so nice to him. Was it pity? Was Ralph supposed to say no?

“Won't you get in trouble?” Ralph finally asks in reply.

Cisco winks and Ralph's heart skips a beat. “Shouldn't I be the one who's worried about that?”

So Ralph follows Cisco inside and let's him pour an Irish coffee from a flask Cisco had seemingly produced out of nowhere.

“Just a little whiskey. You said work trouble, so. Figured you might need it.” Cisco explained. He poured for himself as well and leaned against the bar, studying Ralph.

Slowly picking up the coffee mug Ralph takes a sip and then flashes a bright smile at Cisco. “Thank you.”

“So you wanna talk about it?” Cisco asks, genuinely curious.

“Work? Nah. It's all stupid.” Ralph says and bats a hand at the air.

Cisco's eyes narrow. He catches Ralph's open palm across the counter. Ralph holds his breath, feeling like if he breathed wrong Cisco would startle and stop touching him.

“Should I read your fortune, Ralph?” he asks, soft and low. Cisco had only turned on one of the three sets of lights so he looked gorgeous in the low light.

“Please.” Ralph says, because he feels as though he's forgotten every other word that isn't Cisco.

“One more question. If you don't even like talking about work, then why do you work there?” Cisco asks, plain as day.

Ralph blinks at Cisco for a moment. One. Twice. Three times. “Read my fortune.”

Cisco's finger drags across Ralph's palm and Ralph is pretty sure this is how he's going to die. “Your lifeline is long, but a little bumpy. And your fate line is strong, as well. So this job could be the bumpy part… But is this your career?” Cisco asks, his finger tracing over a break in the line. “Or was this just a job? Something you did while putting off your dreams?” Ralph's head is reeling from the tender touches.

“You're a very smart barista, Cisco. I didn't know you moonlight as a psychic.” Ralph said, leaving his hand face up on the table even when Cisco pulled his fingers away. He wanted to lean in and kiss Cisco and damnit he would if he hadn't already left his number and been rejected. But whatever this moment was, whatever it would or wouldn't lead to, Ralph was set on just enjoying it.

“You learn something new every day,” Cisco said, looking up from under his lashes.

“Your turn,” Ralph said, reaching across and pulling one of Cisco's palms into both of his. He realized he could see the leftover scars from Cisco's steamer burns. Carefully, he traced Cisco's soft palm the way Cisco had done for him before.

“Hmm. I see great things in your future.” Ralph hums, “Definitely less steamed milk accidents.”

Cisco rolled his eyes and yanked his hand away.

Ralph's heart fell. He tried his best not to pout at the broken magic of the moment.

“I let you in while we're closed and you repay me by making fun,” Cisco clicked his tongue at him and Ralph found himself flushing red.

“Cisco… I really appreciate this. You made me feel so much better.” Ralph said, eyes serious and locked with Cisco's gaze.

“Yeah yeah… don't mention it… but really don't mention it because I'll get in trouble like you said.” Cisco deflected, tucking hair behind his ears.

When they left and Cisco stood, locking up the front door, it was drizzling. Ralph, a little buzzed from the Irish coffee, stared on as the raindrops bounced off Cisco's curls. He wanted to ask Cisco about his number, ask him why he hadn't reciprocated…

Ralph ultimately couldn't break the sweetness of the evening. When they parted ways Cisco hesitated, biting his lip and Ralph, weak, almost gave in, almost kissed him then and there in the misty rain. But he was strong. He wouldn't ruin their beautiful evening so instead he said:

“I don't know how to thank you, Cisco.”

The shorter man blushed and smiled up at Ralph. “Will I see you this week for lunch?”

Ralph nodded. “Yeah. Lunch. For sure.”

.

A few stilted, loaded lunch visits after that, Cisco sent Ralph off with a cookie that was fated to be his last.

Usually the warm cookies barely made it back to his office building. If he was impatient enough, he would eat it as he walked down the sidewalk, sipping his coffee appreciatively.

If he had been particularly good and hadn’t eaten it on the walk back to work, sometimes he would break it out in the elevator, unable to wait one more second until the doors swung open and he could make a break for his office.

As Ralph entered his office, on this particular day, half a chocolate chip cookie dangling from his mouth, his boss was sitting there, behind the desk, waiting for him.

“Dibny, you’re fired.”

.

It’s been three months since Cisco’s seen his favorite customer.

Sometimes he makes himself the roasted red pepper sandwich just the way Ralph likes it, just because he won’t admit he misses his cool regular.

Every time a tall lanky white boy comes into Jitters, when they’re empty at lunchtime, Cisco perks up a bit until he realizes it’s not venti soy latte with toffee nut: Ralph.

One afternoon Barry catches him. “Are you seriously thinking about that guy? Who used to come in and bug you all the time?”

He was standing in front of Cisco, arms crossed over his chest in annoyance. “What’s your problem with him, dude?” he asked.

“He was creeping on you.”

Cisco blinked, surprised and taken aback by Barry’s honesty. “He was just coming and ordering coffee. He wasn’t creepy…”

“Uh, yeah he was… He was hitting on you.” Barry argued.

“Well, maybe I wanted him to hit on me.” Cisco bit and there was sudden silence.

Barry, guilty, looked away. “Listen, I didn’t want to do this originally, and Iris talked me into it, but…”

Cisco narrowed his eyes at his coworker. “What did Iris talk you into…? She started like a week ago and you let her tell you what to do?”

“She’s been here almost four months! And… She’s very authoritative!” Barry said in defense. Cisco pinched the bridge of his nose.

“What. Did. You. Do. Barry.”

Barry huffed a sigh. “He left you his number and Iris and I took it.”

“You _what_?”

“He seemed creepy, Cisco, you have terrible taste in men!” Barry defended.

Cisco scoffed. “I have great taste. I don’t know what you’re talking about. So where is it?”

“Where is what…?”

“Oh my god, Barry, before I wrap my hands around your neck and throttle you, _where is his phone number_?”

.

That night Cisco stares at the slip of paper with Ralph’s number scrawled on it.

_Ralph, 555-9876_   
_(toffeenut soy latte)_

Cisco stops himself from calling and explaining the whole ridiculous business. What’s a good way to text a former favorite customer and hit on them after three months of no contact? His head plopped into his hands. There was no good way.

He imagined versions of the conversation in his head.

“Hey, so I don’t know if you remember me but I work at Jitters and I’m sorry I never called you when you left your number, but hahaha, funny story, my coworkers STOLE IT and I only just received it.”

Nope. That was pathetic.

“I know it’s been like months but I just found your number on this Jitters receipt and I don’t think I ever realized you left it…But I am totally interested!!”

It all sounded like nonsense in Cisco’s head and he couldn’t imagine himself following through on any version of that conversation.

The next day Cisco went out for some errands. His hair was in a messy bun, he had on a loose fitting tee, a cardigan and jogging sweats. It was definitely homey clothes, but he was honest to god, going to the store for shampoo, so like, who was he trying to impress?

Yet, as Cisco turns the corner between socks and athletic wear, he spots him.

There, standing in front of the display of wallets, was the lanky man who loves the roasted red pepper sandwich, just the way Cisco makes it. Cisco blinked, wondering if, just like all those times at Jitters, it was just someone who looked like Ralph. But the closer Cisco got, the more sure he was that this was his regular customer.

“Uhhh… excuse me, not to be that guy, but… venti soy latte with toffeenut and extra whipped cream?” The words tumble out of Cisco’s mouth amidst some nervous giggles and Ralph’s head whips around like it’s on a turntable.

He blinked dumbly at Cisco, his eyebrows narrowing together in the middle. “Cisco! What a surprise. What are you doing here?”

.

_5 minutes earlier_

Ralph turned the corner, heading for the clearance section, and immediately spotted Cisco's tuft of dark curls, tied in a knot at the back of his head. He was dressed more casually than Ralph had ever seen him, but even at a three quarters profile view, he was sure it was his favorite barista.

Shit. Shit shit shit. Approaching a barista out on the street is like, a definite no, no, Ralph reasoned. One that you had left your number for and never talked about it again? A definite no, no. He was sure he couldn’t be the one to approach Cisco.

Spinning around, looking lost and trying to find something to look busy shopping for that wasn’t spiderman boxers or tube socks, he spotted a display of wallets. It was actually the perfect spot so that if Cisco continued on, there would be no way he could miss Ralph. It left it up to Cisco to start the interaction, or walk past Ralph without acknowledging him.

Ralph beelined for the wallets and tried to prepare himself to act both natural and surprised. He’s about to glance up and see if Cisco walked past him when it happens.

“Uhhh… excuse me, not to be that guy, but… venti soy latte with toffeenut and extra whipped cream?” Ralph’s head whips around because he wasn’t even sure Cisco would stop and talk to him, but to still remember his coffee order?

“Cisco! What a surprise. What are you doing here?” It sounds less casual and more stalker than Ralph had intended, so he rubs the back of his neck and tries again. “I mean… Yeah, wow. I didn’t expect a beautiful barista such as yourself to remember me and my coffee order after so long.”

Cisco beams his sunshine smile and Ralph realizes just how much he’d missed it. “You think I’m beautiful?” Cisco asks, blinking, no longer worried about keeping up pretenses. Ralph stares open mouthed and sputters for a moment before Cisco takes a sharpie out of his pocket.

“Listen, your first mistake was leaving your number without handing it directly to me. You should’ve known by then that Barry was a jealous, impulsive little thing.” As he spoke, he bit the business end of the sharpie, held in his right hand, and bit the cap off, pulling at Ralph’s hand with his left.

Ralph allowed himself be yanked around. He didn’t care. Cisco could write Ralph is an idiot in black marker on his forearm and Ralph would probably thank him.

The way Cisco’s soft fingers are cradling Ralph’s forearm is sparking goosebumps on Ralph’s skin. He hopes Cisco doesn’t notice, (although he probably does), and he tries to keep his hand from shaking.

Cisco starts writing his number in the middle of Ralph’s palm and Ralph tries to keep his heart from hammering out of his chest. After his thumb brushes, gentle and soft, against Ralph’s speeding pulse, Cisco writes the last four numbers over his wrist.

"So... You gonna call me? Or are you gonna chicken out?" Cisco asks when he’s capped the marker and it seems like Ralph's pulse has slowed. He looks up with a devilish quirk to his eyebrows.

Ralph sucks in air at the corners of his mouth and rocks back on his heels. "You want the real odds on that? Probably 50/50." But he winks at Cisco as he says it and something about it makes Cisco's stomach flip.

Cisco's walking out of the store when his phone starts vibrating.

"And I thought you were gonna chicken out." Cisco says as he answers the phone.

"Me, chicken out? Never." Ralph replies easily.

Cisco huffs a laugh and Ralph jumps on the opportunity.

"So are you gonna let me take you out for dinner this Friday?"

Cisco grins as he walks along the sidewalk.

"I have to check my schedule." He lies. Makes Ralph wait a beat. He swears he can hear Ralph smiling like an idiot. Then, finally. "Yeah. Friday sounds great."

"Great. It's a date."

**Author's Note:**

> In other news, I'm soft for Elongvibe. Thanks for reading !! All comments / kudos are greatly appreciated <3


End file.
